Attention for retention items.

While considering the patient journey in clinical research, a lot of focus is placed on the beginning stages of the process: “Why may a patient consider a clinical trial?” “What motivates them to participate, and who may they seek counsel from to help make this decision?”

As a patient recruitment agency, we know this journey does not end when a patient ultimately enrolls in a clinical trial. After that decision to join a trial is made is when the majority of the effort as a participant begins. Long, frequent hospital stays and trial procedures are just some of the challenges that participants may face while in a trial.

Retention items, also known as comfort items or appreciation items, are a great way to not only support participants during a trial but to also show appreciation and encouragement. In a survey of clinical investigators, 47% thought that fear of trial procedures had a moderate effect on subject retention. The Madras Diabetes Research Foundation also found that giving a memento as a token of appreciation was a solution to help with lack of both motivation and gratitude of clinical trial participants.

Some examples of common retention items often fall into two categories: items that aid in the logistics of participating in a trial and its procedures and items that may help make a participant’s experience more comfortable and sustainable long term.

Logistics

• Tote bag or backpack: While participating in a clinical trial, a participant may have to bring multiple items back and forth between their home and the trial site. Providing a tote bag or backpack can help them keep all of their necessary supplies for the trial organized and in one location.
• Power bank: If participants experience long visits at the site, they may end up using the majority of their cell phone’s battery, especially if they had to travel far to reach the site or have a lot of downtime between procedures. Providing mini power banks or having power banks at the sites may be useful for participants if they forget to bring their own chargers or if there is not an easily accessible power outlet for them to use.
• Tools: Depending on the indication, sites can provide participants with tools they may need to help complete trial activities. Examples of this may include a pill cutter to split oral tablets or an insulated cooler to help transport an investigational drug that must be kept refrigerated.

Comfort

• Accessories for warmth: Trial sites are typically within hospitals or clinical research centers, which may have cooler temperatures. Warm accessories like slippers, fuzzy socks, and throw blankets may help keep participants warm throughout their visits.
• Entertainment: Between trial procedures, participants may have some downtime. Providing age-appropriate entertainment may help participants avoid boredom during visits or distract them from some of the stress they may experience on the day of a trial visit, especially if the trial is for a pediatric population. Different entertainment items, such as activity books or iPads, can be kept at the trial site and sanitized after each use.

When considering retention items, it is important to remember that they are not simply gifts or given to participants as a form of compensation. Rather, the aim is to help identify products that may be useful for the participants throughout the course of a trial. It is important to evaluate the trial design and procedures to determine which retention items may be appropriate for a particular trial. If you’re interested in implementing retention items for your next trial, let’s connect!